My Thanksgiving Thankful

This is my official Thanksgiving Thankful post. It was first published at Julie Arduini’s blog, The Surrendered Scribe this last Monday. In case you missed it there, I’m publishing it here in its entirety, with a little extra ‘thankful’ added at the end. What are you thankful for this year?

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It is the time of year to start thinking of what I’m thankful for. Actually, I’ve been thinking about it for quite awhile, as you may know if you ever read my “Thankful Thursday” posts. This is a special post I’m doing to really give thanks for the amazingly blessed life I have, as well as to participate as a guest writer for the amazing Julie Arduini, at her blog The Surrendered Scribe. Julie is participating in “NaBloPoMo Challenge” (see http://www.nablopomo.com/) to do 30 posts in 30 days, using guest writers.

I realize that I have a great life, full of many things to be grateful for. There is one thing in particular that I’d like to focus my thankfulness on. God has blessed me with a wonderful family of my own.

See I didn’t grow up in a healthy, functional home and for the first 30+ years of my life, I felt that I was all alone. I wasn’t an orphan, but it sure seemed that way. I had good relationships with friends, but it wasn’t the same. I always felt I was lacking something very significant in my life (other than the obvious – God). Holiday’s, birthday’s, vacation’s – they all seemed empty and I was always lonely.

When I was 30, I finally got saved. That helped a lot. I had a new, amazing relationship with my Father God. For this I was, and remain, thankful. But still, I was alone. I think it was good to be alone for a time with my Father – it gave me time to really know Him intimately. But after a time, the longing for a family of my own returned with a vengeance. And God heard my prayers and gave me the desires of my heart. Now I’ve been married nearly 7 years and have a 13-month old daughter, and I see that I truly do have an Eph. 3:20 family (Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us).

I am thankful for my husband Jeff, who is my partner, my best friend and the love of my life. I hold him in the highest esteem. He is a wonderful husband, father, and man of God. He inspires me to be a better person and the best me I can be. His love for Sweet Pea and I, is surpassed only by His love for God. He is a hard worker, honor and integrity go to the very core of his being. He makes me laugh, helps me cry and leads me in our life. All of the years of loneliness were worth it to finally get the man God had for me.

I am thankful for my little Sweet Pea. She is the joy of my life. I waited a very long time for her, but again, the wait was worth it. I know understand how powerful, how fierce, love can be. As I watch her learn and grow, I am getting glimpses of the person she is to be. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her, there is no sacrifice I wouldn’t make for her. I pray constantly that I would be a good mother and raise her in the ways of God. I understand the importance of me being a good leader to her, so that one day she’ll be a great leader in the Kingdom of God.

And I am thankful for my Father, who has given me so many good and perfect gifts. I remember what it was to be without Him and can honestly say that I am nothing without Him. His love and forgiveness are more to me than life itself. I hope to never stop growing in His ways and to always become more like Jesus. While I’m not as far as I’d like to be, I thank God that I’m no longer where, or who, I was! All praise to Him!

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In addition to the above things that I am so grateful for, I’d like to offer thanks for one more thing. Living in the Phoenix area, we don’t experience Holiday weather the way many people around the country do. But this year is different! For the first time since I can remember, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with unseasonably cool temperatures and rain. It is forecasted to be only in the low to mid 60’s on Thanksgiving Day, which to many of you I’m sure is actually quite warm, but for us, when the temps are usually in the 80’s (or even 90’s!) this time of year, this is a treat! So I’m Thankful for cooler temps and rain for Thanksgiving! Hallelujah!!!

Writing For the Lord ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

This is going to be a slightly different ‘Thankful’ post for me today. The year is nearing the end, with a new, fresh year full of potential and new beginnings right around the corner. I was thinking about where have I changed or grown the most in this last year. Of course, it would have to be in being a mommy! But that’s a different post, for a different day. The other area that I have experienced great growth and change has been in my writing.

At the start of this year, I felt the Lord impress me to begin writing again and to be public about it. I had no idea what that looked like, but because He is faithful, he took over and has led me to where he wants me to be and He has guided my writing. I am so thankful for this and it is my desire to point others to Him and to give Him all the glory.

He led me to a wonderful site called FaithWriters, an online Christian Writing Group, which allowed me to first get my feet wet and do some writing, which would be commented on and critiqued. I am so grateful for FaithWriters because I did learn and grow in my writing very quickly, and it was there, that I discovered the wonderful world of blogging and was inspired to start my own blog – Seed Thoughts. And the best bonus of all, was the amazing group of writers that encouraged and inspired me, who have become wonderful friends. I am so thankful for each and every one of them. (You know who you are – go ahead, take a bow!)

In April of this year, I discovered blogging, and must say I was immediately hooked. I love this fantastic bloggy world. It is easy to look back and see how God has grown me in my writing, and more importantly, to see how He has used me to spread His word and offer encouragement to others. This blog, Seed Thoughts, has led to starting another one called He Said, She Said which is a team blog with my amazing husband. It gives us the opportunity to offer two perspectives of the same thing, from a man/husband view, to a woman/wife view. I am so thankful for the opportunity to blog on my own and with my husband, and I am so, so thankful for the faithful readers who honor me with their time and comments. Once again, the icing on the cake in the whole blog experience, has been the amazing group of fellow bloggers who continue to bless, challenge and inspire me regularly. The quality of the content of their writing and knowledge of the Word is superb, and I have grown from reading their insights.

As many of you know, I am also participating in NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writers Month, which challenges participants to write a whole novel, of at least 50,000 words, in 30 days. It has been a wild ride, an exciting challenge and a fun experience. It was a deep desire of mine to write a novel before my 40th birthday, and guess what? I will! The challenge runs from Nov. 1st – Nov. 30th and I turn 40 on December 1st. After a rough start, with losing a beloved pet, I am now doing very well and am ahead of schedule! I’m so thankful for this experience and for the motivation that it is giving me to go even further with my fiction writing.

Now, I have big writing day coming up, on Monday, Nov. 24th, 2008. In addition to my regularly scheduled Love Letter of the week, from the His Princess book by Sheri Rose Shepherd, I have two other places where my writing will be featured. I am amazed that God continues to allow me to do this and am so thankful for the continued opportunities.

The first is going to be featured on Julie Arduini’s The Surrendered Scribe blog. She is participating in NaBloPoMo, which is National Blog Posting Month, which challenges participants to post 30 blog posts in 30 days. Julie, who is a wonderful and Godly woman, has chosen a very distinctive way to achieve this. She has chosen the topic of ‘Thankful’ and is featuring a different guest writer each day of the month. As you can probably surmise, I am featured there on the 24th. I am so thankful that she has allowed me to participate and bring my biggest ‘Thankful’ of the year to her blog. If you haven’t been over to read some truly amazing ‘Thankful’ blog post, I highly recommend you do. I’m sure it’ll bless your socks off!

The second other place you’ll find me, is at Take Root and Write, an online collaboration of Christian women writers, who compose words of encouragement, insight and thought for the journey we are all on. I am honored and blessed to be regular monthly contributor there. My monthly column will be an extension of the series I’m doing here on my blog and will be called ‘Choosing Life’. There are many different topics and columns, with dozens of amazing Christian women writers. This is a place that I’m sure you’ll want to spend lots of time. It is a wonderful online ministry. I’m so thankful that Noelle has chosen me to be a regular monthly contributor and share in her vision of reaching and encouraging women as we all go through life together.

Thank you, Lord, for all of these amazing opportunities you’ve given me. You have given me a gift to write and words to say, and have caused me to grow greatly in this. Your faithfulness has never let me down and I know it never will. I know that I am merely your tool, and apart from you, I can do nothing. I am so thankful, blessed and humbled that You have chosen me. In Jesus’ precious Name, I pray. Amen

Evidence of Fall ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

As always, there’s much to be thankful for. Now, many of you may not be able to relate to this post, but I think you’ll understand it (hopefully). I live in the Phoenix area and we don’t really get a lot of seasonal changes – it’s usually either hot or not hot. Right now, with temps endlessly yet in the 90’s, it’s still hot. But there’s hope – I see evidence of fall, even though I don’t yet see fall. It’s kind of like faith – Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” So, this week I am thankful for:

The Evidence of Fall (and soon cooler temps)

~ The calendar which shows me that yes, it is in fact fall.

~ The beautiful pictures many of you are posting and sharing on your own blogs, I really do love looking at them.

~ The warmer clothes that are showing up in the stores.

~ The special Holiday Flavors of Coffee Creamer (especially Peppermint Mocha) that can now be found in the grocery stores.

~ Christmas stuff going up in the stores (yes, it’s too early, but it does serve to remind me that relief is in on the way).

~ And finally, the comfortable temperatures at night and in the early morning, proving we're headed in the right direction.

Substance of fall hoped for and evidence of fall not seen. Yep, for this I am thankful!

The Blogosphere ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

As always, there’s much to be thankful for. One thing that has been a particular blessing for me since becoming a SAHM, is the wonderful blogging community I’ve become involved with. So, this week I am thankful for:

~ My wonderful bloggy friends who encourage me, and my writing, by their kind words and prayers. They truly made a difference when we lost our beloved dog Ashley in late July and had our second miscarriage in middle August.

~ The many blogs I frequent that are filled with God’s Word and Wisdom. Sometimes it’s like going to church every day. I love reading the insights God gives to others and frequently read a post and say, “Wow that was great!”

~ The fantastic links and resources that others share which help me to stretch and grow, as a person, wife, mother, Christian and writer.

~ The opportunity to participate in Weekly Meme’s like Word-Filled Wednesday, Thankful Thursday and Fiction Friday. It is a lot of fun to participate, share and read what others are sharing.

~ The amazing way God has used me to touch the lives of others, by writing a word that someone has needed to hear. It is mind boggling to me, that I could provide a thought, word of encouragement or award, at just the right time, to someone who I’m not even aware of having a need. I am completely humbled still, that He uses me in this way.


Thank you all for blessing me so many times, in so many ways! Thank you God, for providing this inlet and outlet for me.

One Whole Year ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

As always, there’s much to be thankful for. Choosing my “Thankful” topic for today was very easy. Exactly one year ago today, my wait was over, my dream came true and my joy was complete. At 9:30 AM on 9/18/07, my little Sweet Pea was born. This week I am thankful for:

~ A beautiful, happy and healthy daughter.

~ Her laughter and squeals of delight.

~ Her obviously above-average intelligence. ;)

~ The sweet singing that awakens me each morning.

~ The long cuddles and hugs she gives me following her waking from bedtime or naptime.

~ The beautiful smile that lights up her face, the room we’re in and my own heart.

~ A depth of love I never before knew existed.

And I am especially thankful to the Lord, for this amazing and perfect gift that He has entrusted me with.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET PEA!!!

I'm Thankful for God ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

As always, there’s much to be thankful for. This week the Lord impelled me to share a bit of my testimony in a blog post, as a prelude to a series He’s prompted me to begin. It was not easy to go back to a time when I was in such darkness. But it allowed me to see anew the amazing things the Lord has done in my life. This week I am thankful for:

~ God’s love, which He had for me even when I was unlovable.

~ God’s grace, which He offered freely to me (though I didn’t deserve it), but cost Him so much.

~ God’s mercies, which are new, and needed, every day.

~ God’s Word, which is my lifeline to Him, and gives me hope, comfort, wisdom, encouragement and direction at all times.

~ God’s patience, which allows me to stumble while growing in Him, without fear of being abandoned or rejected by Him.

~ God’s promises, which I have seen fulfilled in my own life many times.

~ God’s faithfulness, which has proven time and again that my trust in Him is well placed.

~ God’s provision, which has taken care of all of my needs and lots of my wants.

~ God’s handiwork, which I see in my own life, and that Jeff’s and Sweet Pea’s, as well as in the beauty and majesty of nature.

~ God’s Son, who didn’t have to come and die for me, in a horrible and torturous way, to save me from the pit I was in, but chose to because He thought I was worth it.

Miscellaneous Thanks ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

This week, I’ve had a bit of catching up to do, having just returned from our wonderful, family vacation. This week I’m thankful for:

~ A wonderful family vacation, filled with fun, R & R, and lots of great time spent with my two favorite people, the hubby and Sweet Pea.

~ Traveling mercies to and from above mentioned vacation.

~ Hurricane Gustave not being as bad as what was predicted.

~ Sarah Palin (obviously I’m a conservative)

~ Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Vacation Time ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

I have been looking forward to the end of this week for some time now. We are leaving for vacation on Saturday. After the last couple of weeks, I’m looking forward to it even more. So, this week I’m thankful for:

~ A great vacation destination – Lake Tahoe.

~ A solid and comfortable vehicle to travel in.

~ Time spent in relaxation and enjoyment with my favorite people – Jeff and Reagan.

~ Somewhat lower gas prices.

~ Cooler temperatures and fun activities, along with beautiful surroundings.

And on another subject, I’m thankful for the comfort, support and prayers I’ve received from this wonderful blogging community, in relation to my miscarriage on Monday. I’m especially thankful to the Lord for the comfort, love and peace He has lavished on me.

The Olympics ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

This week I’m keeping it short and simple. With the Olympics going on, and being held in Beijing, I want to give thanks for:

~ The freedom I have to worship the Lord in the manner which I choose, without worrying about persecution from the government.

~ An abundance of food that isn’t fried crickets, scorpions, silkworms and such. (Ewwww!)

~ Building codes and safety regulations that are so stringent (thinking back to the devastation of the earthquake a few months back in the Sichuan province and all of the people, esp. children who were killed in destroyed buildings).

~ National pride and patriotism for the good old USA.

~ Tivo, which allows me to easily record and watch the events I’m interested in when I’m unable to be in front of the TV.

Ok, so these are not really deeply spiritual things, but I’m thankful for them anyway!

Sick Baby ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

This week I haven’t gotten much done with writing for my own blog or reading others. I didn’t even get the FaithWriters Writing Challenge finished. It seems as though there’s been a lot to distract me this week. The most significant of which is that my 10-month old little Sweet Pea has come down with her first cold. It’s just a cold, but she’s miserable and is requiring a lot of extra TLC from Mommy. So this week I am thankful for:

~ Facial tissue. Her poor little nose is running terribly.

~ Veggie Tales, which somewhat distracts her from how she is feeling.

~ Baby Tylenol, which is keeping down her fever.

~ Good health. I am soooo thankful that she has always been healthy and that this is a minor illness – I know it can be so much worse.

~ Good temperament. Even while being sick, she’s in pretty good spirits.

~ Being a SAHM. I realize how blessed I am to be able to stay at home with her always, but especially when she is sick. I know there are many who don’t have that option.

Personally Speaking ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! I’m so happy to be able to offer up “Thanks” regularly for the many wonderful blessings I have, whether large or small, significant or mundane. I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

This week I’d like to offer up thanks for things that pertain to me specifically. No, this is not intended to be an “all about me” post, but rather to recognize and appreciate the blessings I have personally received. These wonderful blessings are from my Father, but given through willing people, and for that I am grateful. I am thankful for:

~ A wonderful husband, who works a long, hard and often stressful day, then comes home and willingly attends to our little Sweet Pea, feeding her and getting her ready for bed, so I can have some “me” time to go work out and get in better shape.

~ The beautiful Art y Pico blog award that was given to me by another amazing and talented blogger, Darlene at her Everything to Me aka Puff’s Pocket blog. I was so honored that she would choose me and my blog for this great award. It really touched me.

~ The now loosely curled hair that I developed during my pregnancy with the above mentioned Sweet Pea. My hair has always been straight as a board, but now it has some body and bounce. It’s a lot of fun and I spend much less time on it.

~ The many new “friends” I’m making online at my blog and through FaithWriters and GodLinked, who encourage and support me regularly, and who bless me with their own words of wisdom and lessons learned.

Comfort and Support ~ Thankful Thursday

Well, here it is again - Thankful Thursday! Isn’t it nice to know that even during the storms of life, there is still plenty to be thankful about? I’d like to offer a special thank you to Iris at her blog, Sting My Heart for hosting this wonderful Meme. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

As many of you know, this has been a particularly difficult week. Last week my topic for Thankful Thursday was our furry family, and specifically our beloved 15 year old dog, Ashley. At the time, I knew she had taken a turn for the worse and we would have to say goodbye soon. What I didn’t know, was that it would be a mere hours later. In the midst of such heartbreak, I still have much to be thankful for. This week my focus is on comfort and support. I am thankful for:


~ Those who’ve offered me words of comfort for my broken heart.

~ The wonderful memories of many years with an amazing, one of a kind furbaby.

~ The Lord, who has given me comfort and peace, just like He always does.

~ The joy that the relationship brought every day.

~ The time we had, even though it’s never enough.

~ The prayers that were said for us by others who really understood what we were going through.

~ Those who’ve willingly shared our sorrow.

~ The kindness shown by the vet office, who truly tried to make the process easier for all of us, and who hugged us and even cried with us.

~ And even the pain, because the depth of the pain that was felt is in direct proportion to the love, friendship and companionship that was shared between Ashley and us.

Our Furry Family ~ Thankful Thursday

I’m so excited that Thankful Thursday is here again! I have so much to be thankful for, and I am pleased to be able to record and share it. I hope you enjoy it. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

This week I’d like to focus my thankfulness on the other members of our family. There are people who exist, who believe that pets are just animals that you take care of. We are not those people. We have a total of 5 pets, 4 cats and 1 dog, and we think of them as family. We love our furry family members very much and are grateful for their presence in our lives. I am thankful for:

~ The love and joy we get daily from them daily.

~ The way they make us laugh.

~ The companionship they offer.

~The way they warm the bed in the winter.

~ Their hunting prowess – most bugs don’t last long w/ the cats.

~ The protection – until recently because she’s now old, Ashley, the dog, has been very protective of us and our home.

~ The groomer who keeps Prissy shaved down (because she’s too fat to clean herself and gets matted).

~ The compassion they show when we are sick or sad.

~ The different and distinct personalities they all have.

~ The blessing of each one in our lives.

In addition to all of the above, I’d like to offer a very special thank you to our 15 year old Ashley. She has been a wonderful friend and companion. The last 2 years have been hard on her, and though her body is giving way to age, it’s easy to see the young and vibrant dog within. Her days are numbered and for that we are very sad. But we are so, so grateful for the time we’ve had with her. Some people don’t believe pets go to heaven. I don’t believe that, and never will. So we are preparing to mourn her passing and believe she’ll soon be playing ball again, and will be running and jumping and having a great time, without the pain and stiffness she feels now.

Thank you God, for all of our wonderful pets, that we love so much. And today, thank you especially for Ashley.

The Basics ~ Thankful Thursday

I’m so excited that Thankful Thursday is here again! I have so much to be thankful for, and I am pleased to be able to record and share it. I hope you enjoy it. If you would like to participate or just read from more thankful hearts, pop on over to Thankful Thursday and join us.

This week I’m focusing on the basics. I’m thankful for:

~ Air Conditioning – living in the Phoenix area during the summer would be downright awful without this wonderful, God-given invention.

~ Clean Water – As Americans, I think this is something we take for granted, but it is vitally important to life itself, and sadly there are far too many that don’t have this luxury.

~ Abundant Food – There is enough of it (maybe too much) and there are plenty of choices.

~ Transportation – We have two good, sound vehicles (with great air conditioning) to make our lives easier.

~ The Internet – It’s great for communication, makes finding information easier and I couldn’t blog without it!

~ A Wonderful Home – They say that love and family are what makes a house a home and I agree. We do have a nice house, but the love found within makes it a wonderful home.

~ Veggie Tales – Reagan loves them, so I really love them.

~ June 22nd – I love this day, because the days start to get shorter, and evening is welcome when the sun is so hot!

~ Ample Clothing – Ditto food above.

~ A Loving Heavenly Father – Lord, thank you so much for all of the blessings you have given me. Thank you for your Word, love, forgiveness, provision and protection. Amen!

My First Thankful Thursday

The other night, I was lying awake in bed and thinking of all the different issues going on in my life. Normally, I take things pretty well, I emote, I deal and I move on. Right now though, it seems as if I’m getting hit from several directions, and so I found myself lying there stewing. It was during this time of stewing, that I had an epiphany of sorts. Yep, God spoke to my heart, right then and there. I understood that yes, things aren’t the easiest right now and Jeff and I are going through some stuff, but in actuality I am blessed in so many ways.

At that point, I started thinking about how I’m blessed. I looked over at my sleeping husband and realized what a huge blessing and gift he, and our marriage, is to me. And I decided it was time to start giving some thanks. So I found a new blog meme that I will be participating in. It is called Thankful Thursday. The purpose of this meme, is to remember to give thanks beyond Thanksgiving Day. I don’t know if I’ll participate every week, but I’m gonna try. I hope you enjoy my thankfulness and encourage you to pop over to the home of Thankful Thursday to read some more great thankful blogs.

So what am I thankful for? Well, I guess since it started with my wonderful hubby, I’ll give thanks for him and the fantastic marriage we have. He is my prince, my best friend and the love of my life. I know that I am a better person because he is in my life. He’s a great guy, a fantastic father and I admire him immensely.

We’ve been married for six years, and in all that time we’ve never had a serious fight. We’re keenly aware that the enemy likes nothing more than destroying families. We do disagree at times, but are committed to working it out. We respect each other, support each other and truly enjoy each other. I am so thankful, that during the times of our greatest adversities, we’ve drawn closer together (and to God), rather than drifting apart. Though we have faced some difficulties during our six years of marriage, it has been a great six years! And I am confident, that with love, respect and commitment (and maybe some help from God), this is just the beginning of a long, strong marriage. Lord, this is what I’m thankful for!